For your interview, here's what to prepare: 1. Timeline of absences with reasons 2. Any documentation of emergencies (texts, emails, hospital paperwork if available) 3. Know your employer's attendance policy 4. Explain why you couldn't provide proper notice when required 5. Be ready to discuss any prior warnings Stay calm and factual during the interview. The EDD interviewer isn't looking to trick you - they're gathering information to determine if your separation from employment qualifies you for benefits. As for certifying, you should still do it if you can get your account issues resolved, but understand that you won't receive payments until after a favorable eligibility determination.

Actually, I recommend certifying regardless of whether your interview has happened yet. If your eligibility is approved, EDD will process payments for the weeks you've certified. If you wait to certify until after approval, you'll have to wait even longer for payments. So fix your account issue asap and certify for any weeks you can. For your account issues, when you call EDD, specifically mention that you need to have your previous UI Online account linked to your new claim. This is a common issue they deal with all the time.

my brother works for the apartment management company and says lots of tenants having this problem right now with the card switch... maybe your landlord has seen this before? worth asking for a few days extension and showing the EDD payment confirmation as proof your not just making excuses

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to anyone? The Money Network system is definitely frustrating during the transition, but once you actually get the card, it works pretty well. The app is much better than the old BofA one.

My sister works for EDD (not saying this to brag just giving context lol) and she says one of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking they can't work part-time while on unemployment. The system is actually designed to encourage you to take part-time work while searching for full-time jobs! You just need to be honest about your earnings. \n\nShe also mentioned that tour guide work specifically wouldn't typically cause availability issues since it's outside normal business hours when most interviews and job opportunities would occur anyway.\n\nAnyway, take the tour guide job! Some income is better than none, and it won't harm your unemployment as long as you report accurately.

Thank you - that's really reassuring to hear from someone with insider knowledge! I'll definitely take the tour guide position and make sure I report everything accurately. I appreciate everyone's help - feeling much less anxious about this decision now.

just wondering but how do u know for SURE it was him who told his friends? maybe they just guessed you were on unemployment or someone else told them? not defending the guy just saying u need solid proof before accusing an edd worker

UPDATE US on what happens! This is really important for everyone to know about. State employees accessing confidential data for personal use is a huge problem across many agencies. Your complaint could help strengthen protections for all of us.

Since you're waiting for your card, one tip I wish someone had told me - as soon as you get it, create your Money Network account online right away. Then you can at least track when deposits hit the card. You can also set up automatic transfers to your bank account so you don't have to manually transfer each time.

That's great advice, thank you! Looking forward to getting this all sorted out. Seems like the first payment is the hardest part and then things should go more smoothly.